Important BIrd and BIodIVErSItY arEaS In IndIa – bACKGROUnd BACKGROUND OTTO PFISTER OTTO More than 1,200 species of birds are found in India, including some spectacular species such as the Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus INDIA: GENERAL INFORMATION ndia is situated between latitudes 8° 4’ and 37° N, and (October–March). However, in south India, the winter is Ilongitudes 68° 7’ and 97° 25’ E, and is bounded on the not as cold as in north India. It is marked by clear skies, southwest by the Arabian Sea and on the southeast by the hot days, and cool nights. This kind of weather prevails Bay of Bengal. To the north and northeast lies the mighty from September to March. The southwest monsoon sets Himalayan range. To the west lies Pakistan and to the in over Kerala in June, progresses towards the north and east, Bangladesh and Myanmar. In the north, Tibet, China, envelops the entire country by the end of July. The eastern Nepal, and Bhutan share international boundaries with coastal regions – the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil India. To the south Sri Lanka shares the maritime boundary Nadu – experience the northeast monsoon between October and is separated from India by a narrow channel of the Bay and November. Along the east coast, this period is marked of Bengal formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar by cyclones due to severe atmospheric depressions in the (Mathew 2003). Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean that move towards the India is one of the largest countries of the world and mainland at a high speed, causing widespread destruction covers an area of about 3,287,263 sq. km. It extends 3,214 to life and property. The west coast rarely experiences km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west, such cyclonic effects. The annual average rainfall in India with a land frontier of 15,200 km and a 7,516 km coastline varies from a low of 50 mm in the extreme western parts . Mountain ranges such as the Himalaya in the north, the of Jaisalmer bordering Pakistan, to a high of 11,000 mm Aravallis in the west, the central highlands of the Vindhya in the Cherrapunjee region of Meghalaya. Similarly, the and Satpura ranges and the Eastern and Western Ghats in temperature also shows high variability – more than 50 °C the eastern and western parts of the peninsula , comprise in the Thar desert to minus 50 °C at Siachen in Jammu & several submontane tracts of varied lengths and heights Kashmir. that support diverse flora and fauna. The first census of human population in India was India is a vast country with varied climatic conditions. conducted in 1872. Since then, 1881 onwards, this exercise It has three climatic seasons in a year: monsoons (June– has been carried out once in 10 years. At the time of India’s September: southwest monsoon; October–November: Independence in 1947, the population was 340 million. By northeast monsoon), summer (April–July) and winter 1981, it rose to 685 million and by 1990, to 844 million. 1 Important BIrd and BIodIVErSItY arEaS In IndIa – bACKGROUnd Compared to 1971, the population had increased by 25%. In world’s flora and 6.5% of the world’s fauna. On a larger 1971, the human density was 216 per sq. km, with a high of taxonomic scale we can say India has about 423 species of 655 in Kerala and a low of 8 in Arunachal Pradesh. According mammals, 868 species of amphibians and reptiles, 1,234 to the 1991 census, the average human density had further species of birds and about 45,000 species of plants of the risen to 273 persons per sq. km. By 2001, India’s population world. India has four out of the 34 globally identified had crossed the one billion mark! In 2011, India’s population biodiversity hotspots: Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western was 1.2 billion. The population has trebled in the 66 years Ghats, and Nicobar island (part of the Sundaland hotspot). A of India’s Independence, with an annual rise of about 18 large range of species inhabit the country’s various habitats, million people. The projected human population growth by from its crowded and colourful coral reefs to the icy alpine 2050 is between 1.5 and 1.6 billion. grasslands. We have very little information on the biology of the vast majority of these organisms. There are many species Biodiversity that have not even been named by science. Their value to India, a mega-diversity country, is among the top ten India’s human population, as sources of useful genes, as food nations endowed with the world’s richest biodiversity. Its or medicine, or as essential parts of ecological systems, has immense biological diversity represents about 7% of the hardly been studied. VEGETATION CHARACTERISTICS WITHIN VARIOUS BIOGEOGRAPHIC ZONES OF INDIA By Dr. G.S. Rawat The Indian region exhibits an enormous variation i. The Indian Trans-Himalaya in climate, geomorphology, and surface topography. On The Indian Trans-Himalaya, also known as the Indian the basis of physiography it is divisible into three zones, cold desert, support very sparse vegetation. Based on the namely the Himalayan region, the Indo-Gangetic Plains physiognomy, three categories of natural vegetation are and the Indian Peninsula. Each of these zones can be clearly discernible namely, Alpine Arid Scrub (AAS) or further classified based on the relief features and patterns Steppe formations, Alpine Arid Pastures (AAP), and Marsh of soil and water regimes. This has manifested in a great Meadows (MM). The AAS vegetation is dominated by the deal of floral and faunal diversity and interesting patterns Artemisia-Caragana, Hippophae-Myricaria, and Ephedra of vegetation formations. Champion & Seth (1968) have gerardiana communities. The AAPs are largely dominated classified India’s vegetation into seven major groups, 16 by graminoids, while the MMs have a preponderance of sub-groups and over 150 sub-types and seral stages. This sedges. The plant community structure and composition classification takes physiognomy, floristics, as well as local are strongly influenced by the microtopography and edaphic and biotic factors into consideration, hence it is used soil moisture. Accordingly, various habitats such as widely by foresters as well as ecologists. The description of moist slopes, riverine areas, sandy plains, field borders, wildlife habitats including the characterisation of major valley bottoms, rubble slopes, scree slopes, and marsh biomes and Important Bird Areas (IBAs) can best be done meadows exhibit distinct formations and communities. using Champion & Seth’s categories. The characteristic species in the Trans-Himalaya are the This chapter deals with a general description of the species of Saussurea, Potentilla, Corydalis, Astragalus, vegetation within the various biogeographic zones of and Oxytropis. In general, the Indian Trans-Himalaya India. Although Rodgers & Panwar (1988) and Rodgers is poorer in floral diversity compared to the moist alpine et al. (2000), have given broad characteristics of various meadows of the Greater Himalaya. A small portion of regions, major biomes and habitats within these zones need the Indian Trans-Himalaya is represented in the Central further characterisation in terms of vegetation types and Himalaya (Sikkim), which is relatively higher in terms of community composition. It has been noted that at least 24 species diversity compared to the northwestern region. distinct physiognomic units (including Champion & Seth’s This region is characterised by low primary productivity, categories) are required to broadly describe the major harsh climatic conditions, and specialised growth forms biomes and biogeographic regions of India. These types, (Kachroo et al. 1977). along with the characteristic floral elements, are shown in the Table on page xxx . In addition, a large number ii. The Himalayan Region of herbaceous formations and associations at the local The Himalayan region is spread over an area of level characterise the habitats for various faunal groups approximately 210,626 sq. km within India. This region as including birds. a whole is regarded as an important biodiversity hotspot. 2 Important BIrd and BIodIVErSItY arEaS In IndIa – bACKGROUnd ASAD R. RAHMANI The cold deserts and wetlands of the Trans-Himalayas are ecologically very fragile and need imaginative conservation planning ASAD R. RAHMANI The Himalayas are famous for high cultural scenic, floral and faunal diversity 3 Important BIrd and BIodIVErSItY arEaS In IndIa – bACKGROUnd It supports a wide range of vegetation types ranging from birds. The Montane region of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh the Tropical to the Alpine types. It is home to over 8,000 bears Temperate Broadleaf Forests, Temperate Coniferous species of flowering plants and nearly 10,000 species of lower Forests, Subalpine Forests and scrub. plants. The zone above the natural treeline (c. 3,300–3,600 The Shivaliks or the sub-Himalayan zone lies within msl in the Western Himalaya and c. 3,800–4,000 msl in the the Indo-Gangetic Plains according to Rodgers & Panwar East) in the Himalaya supports alpine vegetation, which is (1988). Subtropical climate, varied topography, rich alluvial characterised by alpine scrub, meadows, moss-lichen laden soils, and intermingling of taxa from the Indo-Malayan and rocky slopes, and matted shrubs. Of all the categories, the Palaearctic regions have given rise to very high biodiversity. meadows are of considerable ecological interest due to the The major forest types according to Champion & Seth (1968) adaptability of the plant forms and the great profusion of from the west to the east along the increasing rainfall herbaceous species. The meadows are the repository of gradient include Dodonaea scrub, Subtropical Dry Evergreen valuable fodder species as well as medicinal and aromatic Forests of Olea cuspidata, Subtropical Pine Forests, plants.